Chapter 540 Martial Arts

Yu Zicheng was thrown into prison by the Five Cities Garrison. It is unknown whether this matter will implicate Lord Yu. Lin Yuesha is also waiting for news.

After calming her mother down, Lin Yuesha carried a lantern for blessings and headed straight for her stepbrother's courtyard.

Originally, she intended to deliver the lantern to the door before leaving, but just as she put the lantern down, the gate to the courtyard suddenly opened.

"Little sister?"

Xiao Qi saw Lin Yuesha standing helplessly at the door, his gaze fixed on the lantern she was carrying.

"Big brother, I just got back."

On the night of the Ghost Festival, the moonlight was exceptionally bright. Lin Yuesha looked up and saw her stepbrother's deep eyes, a hint of sadness in them. She shook the lantern in her hand and then placed it in Xiao Qi's hand.

His stepbrother's mother passed away early, and in such times, he must be missing his family.

Even though they are now a family, and Chen has become Xiao Qi's stepmother, no one can replace a biological mother.

Lin Yuesha was worried that he would forget the date while reading, so she specially bought a lantern.

"Thanks."

Xiao Qi, carrying the lantern, thanked him softly. He paused for a moment, then suddenly asked, "Little sister, would you like to accompany your elder brother somewhere?"

Lin Yuesha rarely inquired about Xiao Qi's past, and she replied almost without hesitation, "I'm willing."

As for where to go, she didn't ask; as long as her stepson was with her, she wouldn't get lost.

Only the brother and sister went out; the maids and servants stayed at the mansion.

Xiao Qi rode his horse, leading Lin Yuesha past the Five Cities Garrison, and arrived at a village near the capital.

He didn't speak, but helped Lin Yuesha dismount, prepared incense and paper money, and placed offerings in another basket.

Lin Yuesha stood silently to the side, watching Xiao Qi burn paper money and kneel and kowtow in the firelight. After thinking for a moment, she also knelt down in the same manner as Xiao Qi.

One should know the proper etiquette when dealing with deceased elders.

"Mother, another year has passed."

Xiao Qi's expression was indifferent. Twenty years had passed in the blink of an eye. Since learning the truth, he had never been truly happy for a single moment. He had never dared to forget the blood feud of the Qi family. What he wanted was not just for the Fang family to pay for their blood debt.

This was the first time he had brought people to pay respects to his mother, who was buried right there in the ground beneath his feet, without even a memorial tablet.

"Auntie, I kowtow to you. I hope you can see this in the afterlife and bless my brother to pass the imperial examination with flying colors."

Lin Yuesha kowtowed solemnly, adding in her heart, "May my elder brother get married after passing the high school entrance exam, so that we may have double happiness."

It would be best if my sister-in-law could have two children in three years, making the house lively and bustling.

This was Lin Yuesha's expectation, but she didn't want to put too much pressure on her stepbrother.

Xiao Qi also silently thought that Lin Yuesha was the woman he wanted to marry. The next time he came to pay respects to his mother, he would probably already be married and have children.

The brother and sister each had their own thoughts, and only returned home after the fire of burning paper money had gone out.

This was Lin Yuesha's first night in her new home. She was wide awake, filled only with excitement. From now on, her family would no longer have to stay with others and would finally have a place to stay in the capital.

On the sixteenth day of the seventh lunar month, Lin Yuesha got up early. Although she hadn't slept all night, perhaps because she was in a good mood, she felt sharp-eyed, clear-headed, and refreshed.

After breakfast, Lin Yuesha, led by a servant from the Xu family, went through the small gate connecting the two mansions to see Madam Xu.

The Xu family's back garden is next to a martial arts training ground. Madam Xu was practicing boxing. Lin Yuesha arrived but did not disturb her. Instead, she watched from the side.

Madam Xu wore short sleeves and her hair was piled high. Every punch she threw was powerful and fast, until in the end only a blur remained.

After performing a set of boxing moves, Madam Xu's maid handed her a cloth to wipe the sweat from her forehead and said with a smile, "Yue Sha is here."

"You're amazing."

Madam Xu's maiden name was Liu, but to appear closer, Lin Yuesha addressed her as "Auntie".

"When learning martial arts, one must not rush it. First, one must train the foundation. Only with a stable foundation can one punch and execute moves."

Madam Xu gave a brief introduction: learning martial arts is not something that can be accomplished overnight, but rather requires years of accumulation, which is quite tedious.

If Lin Yuesha only finds it interesting, she won't be able to stick with it for long.

“Auntie, I understand all of this. I’m not doing this for fun, but to protect myself.”

Lin Yuesha rubbed her hands together eagerly. She realized that while scheming and plotting could give her the upper hand, it wasn't satisfying enough. If she had the strength, she wouldn't need to waste words; she could just take action directly.

"Yes, that's it."

Madam Xu was very pleased that Lin Yuesha had realized the essence of martial arts, which was to beat people up.

"You saw it that day too. There are quite a few ladies in the capital who are dissatisfied with me, but they act like quails when they see me."

Madam Xu lectured Lin Yuesha, but what could she do about her dissatisfaction? She could only endure it.

Lin Yuesha had no foundation, so she could only start with the most basic horse stance. After Madam Xu corrected Lin Yuesha's movements, she brought tea and sat down in the pavilion.

Don't rush it at first. Start by squatting for half an hour, and then gradually increase the duration.

Within fifteen minutes, Lin Yuesha's legs were trembling; she realized she had overestimated her abilities.

She originally thought that women practicing etiquette by standing for two hours at a time was hard enough, but the horse stance made her back and legs ache, and sweat dripped down her eyelashes into her eyes.

"Just hang in there a little longer."

Madam Xu calmly took a sip of tea and said, "Yue Sha, you're almost of marriageable age, but you're still not tall. You need to grow taller."

Practicing martial arts strengthens the body and also helps with growth; otherwise, how could Xu Da have grown so tall, since his father was a short man?

"Yue Sha, what dishes will you teach your aunt to make later?"

Distracting oneself makes one less tired. Mrs. Xu brought it up herself, and she was very excited. A good teacher produces excellent students, and she imagined that her cooking skills would impress her son.

When her husband returns home, she will prepare a huge feast to welcome him back, which will absolutely shock everyone present.

Hmph, both father and son look down on her, she'll show them what she's made of.

Madam Xu had an inexplicable overconfidence, believing that she was extremely talented, but simply lacked patient people to help her.

Let's make a simple stir-fried potato dish.

Lin Yuesha smiled bitterly. She had just received a gift from Xu Da yesterday and promised to persuade Madam Xu to be more open-minded and not get involved in cooking, but she still didn't say it after thinking about it.

If Madam Xu doesn't look down on her for being a clumsy beginner, how can I look down on Madam Xu?

Lin Yuesha decided to make an effort, starting from the basics, to help Xu Da change his preconceived notions.

The two chatted while Lin Yuesha pondered things, and time passed quickly. Half an hour had passed, and Madam Xu hadn't called her. Lin Yuesha continued to daydream for another quarter of an hour.

"Auntie, I can't go on."

Lin Yuesha trembled and realized that her legs were stiff and she couldn't move them, so she had to rely on Bai Cha for support.

That's enough for today. We'll continue tomorrow, for another half hour. You'll get used to it.

Madam Xu took out a small porcelain bottle from her sleeve and handed it to Bai Cha. Inside was a medicinal ointment to relax muscles and promote blood circulation. She told Bai Cha to give Lin Yuesha a massage that night, otherwise she wouldn't be able to get up the next day.